24 Hours in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities in Europe.  It’s so easy to get to from just about anywhere in the UK which makes it the perfect destination for a weekend or even just a night away.  So when I received an invitation to visit the city from Philips TV I was delighted.  The latest development from the Philips TV design department was being launch in the city and I was looking forward to seeing what they had come up with.

I arrived into Schiphol airport just before lunchtime and jumped on the train to Amsterdam – it’s only a couple of euros and takes you right to the centre of the city in about 15/20 minutes so is always my choice instead of a cab.  The city itself is pretty compact so if you fancy putting your google maps to good use you will likely find that your hotel or base for your stay is within walking distance.  I was staying at the (lovely) Hoxton hotel which I was able to walk to in about 1o minutes from central station.  It’s a nice way to see a little bit of the place and also to help you to find your bearings too.

The Hoxton, of course, started life in London but spread its wings over to the continent in 2015 and has fast become one of coolest places to stay or just hang out if you are in Amsterdam.  As it was not my first time here I opted to spend the afternoon in the hotel catching up with some work (boring I know) before the evening’s event but if you did come for a leisure break the hotel is bang in the middle of one of the coolest neighbourhoods and is filled with small clothing shops, eating places and lifestyle stores.

So now for the main event, the reason I was here after all.  Things started off in true Dutch style with a ride to the venue from the hotel on a canal boat of course.  This was a nice little touch.  After arriving at one of the nicest loft spaces I’ve ever been the new Philips OLED 4K TV with Ambilight was unveiled by Rod White (a fellow Scot and the chief designer at Philips TV).

I liked that the television while stylish is discreet and sleek making it a perfect centrepiece to any room.  This was the first time that I had actually seen OLED in action and I was really impressed with the vivid colours but more so the black, which was now pitch black.  The addition of Philips Ambilight too adds an extra layer to the viewing experience as the colour effect spreads across the room.  It’s all very immersive and I imagine would be great for watching movies on.

After all of the excitement of the unveiling, we were treated to a rather wacky colour themed meal and a nightcap at the impressive A’DAM tower (a taxi and boar ride across town).

#PhilipsOled

Philips.co.uk